Black Sheep

Biography

Rap duo comprising Andre Dres Titus (Sanford, North Carolina, USA) and William Mista Lawnge McLean (b. 11 December 1970, Sanford, North Carolina, USA), who are based in the Bronx, New York, though they actually met in North Carolina in 1983. Titus father, an army officer, was stationed there, while McLeans mother had relocated to the state while he was in school. He was sharing the bill with Sparkie Dee at a gig when her DJ, Red Alert, advised him that if he ever moved back to the capital, he should contact him. He did just that in 1985, linking up with the Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest, before telephoning Titus to invite him to join a band. Finally together, they arrived from a similar angle to the Native Tongues Posse, of which they were members, but doused their Afrocentricity in humour. Their self-produced debut album made the Billboard Top 30 in 1991, mainly on the back of the excellent single, The Choice Is...